Resilient fabric



June 10, 1930. R. c. FAGAN RESILIENT FABRIC Filed Dec. 20, 1928 6 2% L? g g Miami 5; ATTORN EYS Patented June 10, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE- RICHARD C. FAGAN, OF MIDDLETOWN, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOB T0 RUSSELL MANU- FACTURING COMPANY, OF 1M1IlDDILIEHfOVTN, CONNECTICUT, A. CORPORATION OF CON- NECTIC'UT RESILIENT FABRIC Application filed December 20, 1928. Serial No. 327,212.

This invention relates to elastic webbing of the type used for rubber garments, bandages and the like and is concerned more particularly with elastic fabric which is more durable and retains its elasticity for longer periods than webbings as now made.

Elastic webbing ordinarily includes a plurality of rubber strands employed as warp threads, the remainder of the fabric consisting of cotton loosely interwoven with the rubber so that the fabric has substantial elasticity in a direction lengthwise of the fabric. It is this elasticity which makes the fabric valuable for bandages and supporting garments, and therefore, when the rubber loses its resilience after a period of use, the garment becomes practically useless.

Garments or bandages made of the fabric usually require frequent laundering which involves exposure to the sun during drying, and sometimes the webbing is exposed to the light when the garment .or bandage is worn. These arments, etc., are also likely to be-exposed or display purposes before being sold.

I have discovered that the reason that elastic webbing as now made has a limited period of usefulness is that the rubber strands in the fabric are acted on detrimentally by light and I believe the actinic rays of the sun act on the rubber in some way which impairs its resilience. In any event, I have ascertained by a number of tests that when the rubber strands in such a fabric are protected from such rays, the life of the rubber is greatly increased and the fabric retains its resilience for an indefinite period.

The fabric of this invention is according ly so constructed to prevent deterioration of the rubber caused by the action of 11 ht and in this new fabric, I employ rub er strands as warp threads and wrap thesethreads are most effective and afford the maximum degree of protection so far as I am now aware, although it is likely that threads colored different shades of red will also afford some degree of protection and the effectiveness of the protection will depend on the closeness of the color to the orange shade.

For a better understanding of my invention, reference may be had to the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 shows a piece of the fabric with certain of the filling strands removed;

F ig. 2 is an enlarged sectional view of a portion of the fabric;

Fig. 3 is a View of a single rubber strand with its wrapping; and

Fig. 4 shows a strand having double wrapping.

The fabric comprises a plurality of war threads 10 interwoven with filling stran s generally designated 11. Each warp strand is made of a strand of rubber 12 which is placed under tension and then wound with a wrapping 13 which retains the rubber in tensioned condition. This wrappin may be made up of a plurality of fine threa s loosely twisted together and wound relatively tightly about the rubbers Preferably, the fabric also includes warp threads of cotton, generally designated 14 and lying between adjacent rubber strands. If desired,

there may be a single cotton warp thread,

the rubber strands with threads of white or some neutral tint, such colors being most desirable for webbing to be made into garments or bandages. In these fabrics, it has been found that the rubber loses its'resilience and the fabric becomes slack after a relatively short period of use, particularly if the fabric is exposed to the sunlight as r in the open air.

when the garments are laundered and dried In the new fabric, I employ a Wrapping for the rubber strands which is effective to prevent act1n1c rays of the sun from reaching the rubber. F or this purpose, I wrap each rubber strand with orange colored threads, which color I have found to be when this situation arises, new fabric'may be made by first wrapping the rubber strands in an orange colored wrapping and then providing a second wrapping 16 of the de sired neutral tint.- In this way, the rubber is protected against the action of the sun but the protective layer 'is wholly, concealed and its distinctive color is not visible.

Actual tests which I have conducted have established that when-two fabrics, one of the prior type andone of the new construction, are exposed to the sunlight, the old fabric deteriorates with comparative rapidity and the rubber loses its resilience so that the fabric becomes slack and puckered. The new fabric, however, although subjected tothe same exposure, retains its original tautness and resilience and appears to be substanti-. ally unaffected.

While-the webbing of the present invention is particularly adapted for use in garments which are exposed to the sun on occar sion, it will be obvious that all webbing of this kind, when in normal use, is to some extent exposed to the light, so that. the new webbing maybe advantageously employed for all purposes for which such webbing is commonly used. Since in all webbing the rubber strands must be wrapped under tension, my employment of this wrapping for an outer wrapping over the inner wrapping, the outer wrapping of a neutral color enclosing and concealing'the inner wrapping.

3.-As an article of manufacture, an elastic webbing which includes a plurality ofv an inner wrapping colored to protect the rubber against the deteriorating action of the light, and a second wrapping lying over and concealing the first, said second wrapping being of the same color as the remainder of the webbing. I p V In testimony whereof I aflix mysignature.

RICHARD C. F AGAN.

the strands as a light protective jacketdoes not add to any substantial degree to the cost of the product even though a. double wrapping is employed in some fabrics. Accord-' ingly, the new fabric may be used for all the usual purposes since the rubber in it retains its resilience, garments made from the fabric. are much superior to those of the oldwebbing.

I claim: I

1. As an article of manufacture, fan elastic webbing which includes warp strands of rubber, each strand having a wrapping colored to protect the rubber against the deteriorating action of light and a. second wrapping of a neutral color over the first.

- 2. As an article of manufacture, an elastic webbing including a plurality of rubber strands, each strand being enclosed in an inner wrapping of orange colored thread and 

